God

Lavan answered him, "If you regard me favorably, then please listen: I have observed the signs that ADONAI has blessed me on account of you.

The few you had before I came have increased substantially; ADONAI has blessed you wherever I went. But now, when will I provide for my own household?"

ADONAI said to Ya'akov, "Return to the land of your ancestors, to your kinsmen; I will be with you."

He said to them, "I see by the way your father looks that he feels differently toward me than before; but the God of my father has been with me.

and that your father has belittled me and has changed my wages ten times; but God did not allow him to do me any damage.

This is how God has taken away your father's animals and given them to me.

Then, in the dream, the angel of God said to me, 'Ya'akov!' and I replied, 'Here I am.'

He continued, 'Raise your eyes now, and look: all the male goats mating with the females are streaked, speckled and mottled; for I have seen everything Lavan has been doing to you.

I am the God of Beit-El, where you anointed a standing-stone with oil, where you vowed your vow to me. Now get up, get out of this land, and return to the land where you were born.'"

Nevertheless, the wealth which God has taken away from our father has become ours and our children's anyway; so whatever God has told you to do, do."

But God came to Lavan the Arami in a dream that night and said to him, "Be careful that you don't say anything to Ya'akov, either good or bad."

I have it in my power to do you harm; but the God of your father spoke to me last night and said, 'Be careful that you don't say anything to Ya'akov, either good or bad.'

If the God of my father, the God of Avraham, the one whom Yitz'chak fears, had not been on my side, by now you would certainly have already sent me away with nothing! God has seen how distressed I've been and how hard I've worked, and last night he passed judgment in my favor."

and also HaMitzpah [the watchtower], because he said, "May ADONAI watch between me and you when we are apart from each other.

If you cause pain to my daughters, or if you take wives in addition to my daughters, then, even if no one is there with us, still God is witness between me and you."

May the God of Avraham and also the god of Nachor, the god of their father, judge between us." But Ya'akov swore by the One his father Yitz'chak feared.

Ya'akov went on his way, and the angels of God met him.

When Ya'akov saw them, he said, "This is God's camp," and called that place Machanayim [two camps].

Then Ya'akov said, "God of my father Avraham and God of my father Yitz'chak, ADONAI, who told me, 'Return to your country and your kinsmen, and I will do you good':

I'm not worthy of all the love and faithfulness you have shown your servant, since I crossed the Yarden with only my staff. But now I have become two camps.

Please! Rescue me from my brother 'Esav! I'm afraid of him, afraid he'll come and attack me, without regard for mothers or children.

You said, 'I will certainly do you good and make your descendants as numerous as the grains of sand by the sea, which are so many they can't be counted.'"

Then the man said, "From now on, you will no longer be called Ya'akov, but Isra'el; because you have shown your strength to both God and men and have prevailed."

Ya'akov asked him, "Please tell me your name." But he answered, "Why are you asking about my name?" and blessed him there.

Ya'akov called the place P'ni-El [face of God], "Because I have seen God face to face, yet my life is spared."